- James Harden is set to become an unrestricted free agent after one season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
- The Clippers have stated they are interested in retaining Harden.
- The Phoenix Suns have the best odds to sign Harden if he decides not to re-sign with the Clippers, though the race appears to be wide open.
Days after the Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs, some online bookies have released odds on James Harden’s next destination. Currently, the Phoenix Suns (+400) have the shortest odds to land the superstar shooting guard if he departs from the Clippers.
At +400, the price indicates that the Suns have a 20% implied probability of signing Harden. With that in mind, the guard’s next team is not a guarantee and is currently up in the air. The Suns are the favorites, but +400 is far from a strong chance.
Behind the Suns, the Orlando Magic (+500) and Los Angeles Lakers (+600) have the best odds to sign Harden. The Magic, who are in the market for a shooting guard, have favorable odds to ink Klay Thompson. If Orlando doen’t come to terms with Thompson, they may seek out Harden.
He is unlikely to want to take a discount, so the team with the highest offer will be at the top of his shortlist. If he does, in fact, take a deal, the Lakers at +600 to stay in Los Angeles and play with LeBron James makes sense. The bigger LA franchise has an implied probability of 14.3% to land the 34-year-old.
Will The Suns Reload?
The Suns are at a crossroads this offseason. General manager James Jones has tough decisions to make this summer after the Suns were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
They could reload their roster and run it back with their eyes set on a championship. The other option is to blow the roster up and enter a full rebuild. Kevin Durant has two years remaining on a four-year $194 million contract.
Durant has a high chance of being shipped out in a trade, while Jones could shop Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Do the Suns trade Booker and Beal, as well? Or, retain some of this core, bring in Harden, and reload?
According to the odds, the Suns are the front-runner for Harden, so there has to be strong consideration right now. Phoenix has experimented with throwing a bunch of stars on the same roster, and it has already proven to be a failure.
They expected much more than a 49-33 record and a first-round exit with Durant, Beal, and Booker.
Clippers Interested In Keeping “Big 3” Intact
Although the Mavericks dropped the Clippers in six games and the core is getting older, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank wants to keep the team together. That includes keeping Harden with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
We’d like to be able to bring back and retain Paul and James. We’re hopeful we can, but also understand and respect the fact that they’re free agents. Paul has a decision with his option. James will be an unrestricted free agent, so our intent is to bring him back, but also realize that they’re elite players, and they’ll have choices.
George has a player option on the $48.8 million due for the 2024-25 campaign. He can walk if he chooses to, which could have an impact on Harden’s decision.
George was asked about staying with the Clippers after the team’s loss in Game 6.
Yeah. If it works that way, absolutely.
It’s likely that George’s agent will entertain phone calls from various NBA GMs. If there’s an opportunity to make more money on a winning team, it could be tempting to move on after spending six years with the Clippers.
Whether you are a Suns or Clippers fan, there promises to be an interesting offseason ahead this summer!
